Stalled for years, road work on track to achieve world record

MANA (AKOLA): Even as the region is sizzling at 45-46 degree Celsius, the road construction site near Mana, an obscure village on NH6 (NH53) between Amravati and Akola, seems to be in battlefield mode with paver machines, half-a-dozen dumper trucks and over 728 men striving to achieve a world record by paving a 40km two-way (75km one-way) road in 106 hours.
In the normal course, it would have taken at least six months to complete this work. Passers-by and road users are relieved that the road work that was stalled due to disputes with old contractors for the last many years is back on the track.
“We are attempting to enter the ‘Guinness Book’ for continuously paving the longest possible stretch of bituminous concrete. The work started at 7.27am on June 3 and will end at 5pm on June 7. Till 8pm on Sunday, 19.55km road work was completed. Our aim is to break the 2018 record of 25.275km in Doha (Qatar) set by Ashghan, the government agency there,” said Jagdish Kadam, chief managing director (CMD), Rajpath Infracon Private Limited, Pune.
In Doha, the road width was 4.5 metre. Those involved in the work here said the road that is being asphalted is 9 metre wide, hence 75km is being calculated. Transport and highways minister Nitin Gadkari has wished the best to NHAI and Rajpath. Talking to TOI at the Mana campsite on Sunday, Kadam said, “The effort would be dedicated to the nation to commemorate 75 years of Indian Independence (Azadi Ka Amrit Mahotsav). The entire team comprising engineers, operators, labourers and others is working on a war footing. There is no compromise in quality and NHAI is watching it.”
The work started from Loni and will continue till Kurum. Four layers were laid in the past six months and this is the fifth layer. Milind Verlekar, coordinator and himself a Guinness record holder in 2007, says the norms are very stringent. “There should be no joints and work should not stop even for a minute. A committee of 22 experts approved by the Guinness Book team is monitoring the work in three shifts. These experts include surveyors, advocates, time-keepers, road engineering specialists and also deans of reputed colleges.
“Even the composition of bitumen or asphalt is as per Guinness norms. The work is being shot round-the-clock. Drone photography is also being done every hour,” said Verlekar.
Mukesh Meshram, a labourer from Balaghat, said, “Even as my eyes are itching due to the heat while laying the bitumen, I am only thinking of completing the record.”
There are many unsung heroes involved in the work. The company is supplying on-the spot food through 1,000 tiffins from the central kitchen to the workers. The daily requirement is 11,000 rotis, 220 litres dal, and 280kg vegetables.
Kadam said over 34,000 tonne bitumen will be needed for the road work. Four mixing plants are continuously working. “Two plants have developed a snag and we are working to restart them. Other challenges included additional machinery which we have pushed from different sites in the state,” he said.
“We are positive about achieving the feat. The record will help promote and uphold the national cause and initiative of Gati-Shakti of Prime Minister Narendra Modi,” Kadam said.